Oh, what could have been! Back in 2006, Travis Barker and Kim Kardashian became pals, but for the Blink-182 drummer, there was always something more to their connection. He exclusively details their coy relationship in the Oct. 26 issue of Us Weekly.

For Barker, at least, the attraction was instant. "How could you not stare at Kim? Mind you, I enjoyed hanging out with Paris, but I love curvy girls," confesses the Fontana, Calif., native. "Kim was eye candy. I was no way disrespectful to Paris, but I couldn't keep my eyes off Kim!"

Back home in California, the pair, who both live in Calabasas, began to hang out — but were strictly platonic. "We would go out to eat, just hang out," explains Barker, who starred on the 2005 hit reality show Meet the Barkers with ex-wife Shanna Moakler. At one of their routine lunches, Kardashian turned to him for advice that would eventually help launch her empire: Should she sign on for Keeping Up With the Kardashians?

"Kim was like, 'I really want to do this reality show. We're supposed to do it with Ryan Seacrest. I just think my family's interesting,'" he recalls. "I gave her the best advice I could but I still remember the conversation like yesterday: 'I think my family is interesting and it could be something.' Well, you were absolutely right!"

Despite their "just friends" mentality, the chemistry between them raged on. "I had a crush on her and we were flirtatious but nothing ever happened," adds the dad of Landon, 12, and Alabama, 9 (with Moakler). To this day, Barker has no explanation for why. "I don't know!" he says with a laugh. "She was so kind and polite, I just felt like being a perfect gentleman around her. It was a trip!"